Insidiously
by outcarnate
Summary: [Basically a dump for headcanons/plot bunnies set during the six months they were living together] #4: Lyon tries yet again to pirate Juvia over to the dark side, and Gray is beyond reasonably annoyed.
1. Domestic Bliss

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL.**_

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_**Domestic Bliss**_

_Some homes are found, some homes are made._

**GRUVIA WEEK 2015**

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**I. Hair**

The tiny bells that hung on their door chimed as Gray came in. He closed the door behind him and set the grocery bags in his arms on the table. His dark eyes quickly scanned the living room. The house was well kept, and with the bright little ornaments she had taken to hanging around, made for a very quaint picture. For ten seconds he stood in the same spot very quietly, as though waiting for something to happen. There was something missing, and that something was a blue haired girl greeting him with a bone-crushing hug. His blood ran cold.

"Ice Make; Lance!"

The weapon materialized in his hands. "Juvia!" he shouted frantically, racing to her bedroom. He fumbled with the knob, and upon finding that it was locked, banged on the door. He heard a muffled whimper in response. He kicked down her door and rushed in, his lance ready to fly through the heart of whatever threat had invaded their home.

To his horror, Juvia lay crumpled on the floor. Her eyes screwed shut, face contorted into a look of utmost pain. She was thrashing wildly about…

…As she struggled to remove the hairbrush tangled in her curls.

Gray sweatdropped. He became conscious of what he must have looked like, and, embarrassed, threw the lance out of her room. He winced as he heard it break into tiny pieces and made a mental note to clean up that mess earlier, lest someone slip on it. Luckily for him, she seemed a bit too distracted to even notice what he was doing.

He awkwardly knelt beside her and tapped her on the shoulder. She opened her tear-filled blue eyes and stared at him like game caught in a hunter's trap. It seemed she had been like that for quite some time, for she was still in her pajama pants. The tank she wore to sleep had ridden up to expose her stomach, and Gray hastily tugged it down.

"This is really embarrassing. Juvia must look so silly right now," she said, breaking the silence.

"It's…fine. Can't you just turn into water or something? So that the thing slips out?" he suggested.

"Juvia tried that! This is the special brush she bought when they stopped over at the town with the man-eating oysters. It clamped really hard on her curls and neutralizes magic. It's like there's something chewing on her hair."

"That would actually make a pretty good weapon," Gray said thoughtfully, scratching his chin. She whined in response.

"Juvia supposes she'll just have to cut it again," she sighed dejectedly. They lived far from the city, and the tiny village that they lived in had no store that sold magical hair growth serum. She pushed herself up and walked to her drawer, taking out a pair of scissors. She pulled her hair to the front of her face, but her large brush was in the way, and she couldn't get a hold of the strands she was supposed to cleave. She glanced back at him and flushed. "Ah, Gray-sama?"

"Yeah?" he replied, forgetting to chastise her for forgetting to not call him 'sama.'

"Juvia is really sorry about this, but could Gray-sama cut it for her? She can't reach it from the back," she said, eyes glued to the floor.

A part of him was really flattered that she trusted him enough with a pair of scissors anywhere near her hair, and the other half was completely terrified. "Are you sure you want me to do this? There is a ninety-nine percent chance I will screw up."

She giggled. "It's alright! Juvia doesn't really expect anything on Cancer-san's level, of course. Juvia is confident that Gray-sama won't mess up as badly as he thinks he will. Besides, it's not like he'll accidentally make Juvia bald or anything, right?" An image of her standing next to Jura of Lamia Scale with an equally shiny head suddenly appeared in her mind. Her expression sobered, but she schooled it into her cheery smile once more.

"If you're sure," he replied uneasily, taking the scissors from her hands.

Satisfied, she returned to her place on the floor and sat with her back turned to him. The brush was lodged pretty firmly just below the nape of her neck. If he were to cut it neatly, her hair would fall at her chin. He didn't think she'd look too bad, as she'd worn short hair before. He inched a little closer and took a section of hair in his hands.

Juvia's naturally wavy tresses had been the envy of many girls at the guild. Now that he was actually touching it, it turned out to be pleasantly soft and light. The color was fascinating. The shade of blue wasn't as light as Levy's or as dark as Wendy's. It was the color of a clear sky without a sun, the kind that allowed one to lie on the grass and stare at the clouds for hours on end without their eyes tiring. Waves, oceans, waterfalls and storms –the way her hair cascaded down her pale shoulders was an ode to her element. He absentmindedly began to twirl a lock of blue curls in his fingers, his callouses brushing lightly against her bare flesh. The scissors were on the floor.

"Gray-sama?" She spoke in a tiny voice that pulled him from his daze. Juvia had turned her head to half-face him. Even in its untamed state, her hair framed her features so nicely.

"Do you really want to cut it?"

"Well, no, but Juvia doesn't really have a choice. She's been at this for too long and it doesn't seem very practical to spend so much time just to salvage hair."

"I like your hair." Juvia's mouth fell open. He looked away, wondering what made him blurt that out. It was turning out to be a rather awkward morning. "If you want it at this length, I don't mind helping you get it out. I have a better viewpoint from here, anyway. If you want."

A wide smile spread from the corners of her lips to her dark blue eyes as she registered what he had said. "If Gray-sama's okay with it, then Juvia would appreciate it very much."

The process of untangling each strand caught between the teeth of the brush was tedious, but Gray honestly did not mind at all. His fingers were careful not to pull too hard or break off any pieces. The water mage was very still and unusually quiet. She shivered or inhaled sharply every time his skin touched hers, but she was proud of herself for remaining conscious the entire time

"Alright, the damn thing's out," he said after almost half an hour later. He stood up and placed the brush and the pair of scissors on her bedside table.

She ran her hand through the mess and began pulling the matted balls apart manually. "Thank you so much, Gray-sama," she chirped. "Juvia will never cut her hair again. If she could, she wouldn't touch it at all, just so Gray-sama's fingerprints could stay there forever."

"Don't say creepy things like that," he exclaimed, but the discomfort did not last as long as it usually did. Juvia was gazing at him with so tenderly that it made his face heat up. He only shook his head in resignation before ruffling her hair. His fingers combed through her locks, relishing in the texture, as they fell to his side. "You can go ahead and start breakfast. I'll try to do something about your, er. The door. Sorry about that."

"Hm?" she mumbled, snapping out of her dreamlike state. "Oh, it's fine! We can fix that after we eat. Did Gray-sama remember to get the basil leaves, because Juvia was thinking –eep!"

"Shit, I was supposed to mop that up, I'm sorry!"

**II. Quiet**

'_Ran some errands in town, will be back before lunch. Gray-sama looked so cute sleeping, Juvia couldn't bear to wake him.'_

Juvia was the kind of girl who wrote in neat cursive and dotted her 'i's' with hearts. The note was left on the kitchen table, sticking out from under his coffee mug. He'd just gotten up, as he was still clad in his boxers, rubbing at his tired eyes. He'd pushed himself hard at training yesterday, and as soon as dinner was cleaned up he marched straight to his room and collapsed on his bed. It was incomprehensible how Juvia still managed to be up and about. They had sparred, and when the water mage got serious, she was a formidable opponent.

He scrambled two eggs with milk, placed it between two slices of bread, and that was breakfast. As he ate, he noticed how quiet that morning actually was. Even the forest behind them was devoid of any chirping birds, any rustling leaves, any gurgling brooks. It made him hyper-aware of the screeching sound his chair made as he pushed it back.

The house was entirely his for that morning, so he was free to bask in the peace. This didn't happen often. While Juvia usually didn't say much around other people, if she felt comfortable enough around you, she was a chatterbox that could not be shut. She could go on for hours about the most random topic before jumping to some other obscurely related thing. Sometimes she'd even burst into song. Gray didn't mind really mind. She was interesting to talk to, and hell, she had a pretty fine voice in his opinion. However, the prospect of some alone time seemed like a welcome idea. He could do anything he wanted.

He leaned back and blew his bangs out of his eyes. What _did_ he want to do?

He could go back to sleep, but that seemed unproductive as he was wide awake. He could go train, but he was still pretty spent and it only made sense to rest up so that he could train more efficiently later. He could clean, but Juvia had apparently already covered that before she left. She was sort of a neat-freak. He tried going outside and enjoying the soothing calm of nature, but after a while he got restless. Thus, the ice-make mage ended up retreating back to his bed and staring at the ceiling.

The silence was becoming disconcerting. The only thing he could hear was this faint buzzing, and he was sure that it was only something his mind had come up with to mess with him. He then realized that he never had much tranquility in his life to begin with. He'd spent most of his life with the noisiest, most obnoxious guild on the planet, and when he wasn't there he was usually on missions with people who never failed to stir up a ruckus. And from even before he became a part of Fairy Tail, Ur and Lyon were wild company themselves. Perhaps that was why he was never bothered much by Juvia's incessant babbling. Noise was a part of everything he had called home. Even the subtlest sounds such as breaths, heartbeats, and footsteps, were reminders that he was not alone.

Once he got closer to the village, there was an explosion of sound -wheels being dragged on roads, vendors yelling out their prices, products tumbling and cracking, dogs barking at cats who hissed at them from trees, children laughing. He kept walking and sure enough, there was a blue haired girl by one of the fruit stalls. She was juggling a couple of bags in her arms as she tried haggling with the merchant. She spotted him walking towards her out of the corner of her eye and immediately directed all of her attention to him.

"Gray-sama," she said in surprise, "what are you doing here?"

He took the bags from her. "It was too damn quiet," he said.

**III. Bloom**

The sweltering heat of the sun had him itching to take his boxers off, but he didn't think it would be very considerate if he were to prance around so indecently. Juvia was the one who insisted that they not waste the perfect weather indoors, which was ironic because she was currently inside as he waited on the patio.

The pair worked freelance missions. The old lady from the last one had really taken a liking to Juvia, and so in addition to the monetary reward, gave her a box of flower seeds. The image of an iridescent garden delighted the water mage, and so when they got back that morning, she immediately wanted to get a start on it.

When she finally came out, she had changed out of her usual attire into an old shirt and a faded pair of denim shorts, with her hair piled lazily atop her head. She held a large shovel while cradling the box of seeds in her other arm.

"Let me do that," Gray said, reaching out for the shovel. The bruises from the "gentleman's etiquette" lessons Erza had given him and Natsu when they were younger had taken weeks to heal. She smiled at him and shook her head.

"This is Juvia's project! Gray-sama shouldn't have to work on it. Besides, Juvia wants the garden to be her gift to him when the flowers finally grow." She began to dig into the dirt. She seemed so focused and determined, so Gray just went in to fix a pitcher of lemonade for the both of them.

She was almost done digging her trench by the time he returned. Juvia was really a lot stronger than she looked. Her azure eyes had a determined look in them as she pushed away a large pile of dirt. The bangs that usually shielded her forehead were clipped away, and strands stuck to the sides of her face. There were a few beads of sweat running down her neck, and he unconsciously began to watch them disappear into her shirt.

Gray was no expert, but he knew that fancier sorts of flowers needed more than just sunshine and rain. She'd have to tend to them probably every day, and it would be a while before any hint of green would sprout from the ground. Even then, there wasn't even a guarantee that anything would grow at all, taking into account numerous factors like the type of soil, how dependent they were on different types of climate, weather conditions, and all other sorts of things that were out of her control.

Juvia, however, was the type of girl who did some things simply out of love. He had no doubt that she would have the patience the task needed. A warm sensation washed over him, making his toes curl slightly.

The shovel was discarded, and she began putting the seeds into the ground, dividing them into different sections for each kind. She stretched her arms above her head, making her shirt rise a bit to expose a patch of flesh. He set the pitcher down and went to help her fill the holes.

She stopped to stare at him for a while, but he pretended to be too focused to notice.

"I think we should work on it together. I mean, we both live here, don't we?" he said, still avoiding her gaze. _This is our home._

Red crept from her neck to her cheeks, and she looked away as well to hide the wide smile that had plastered itself onto her face. "Of course, Gray-sama."

As they patted the dirt to make a neat, smooth layer, his hand brushed over hers and lingered a bit longer than they should have, but neither said anything about it.

Months later, the flowers did bloom beautifully. Peonies, blue bells, violets, carnations –pastels and jewel tones that brightened up the side of their rickety home, and people who passed would stop to admire the beautiful garden. It was a shame he wasn't around to see it.

**IV. Demons**

_The sky was a cloudless, pale ice blue. The world was empty, veiled by a vast sheet of winter that he knew deep down was eternal. He trudged his way through the knee-deep snow. A trail of red spatters marked his path. Despite the chill that sunk its talons into his tailbone and clawed its way up his spine, he followed it. It was meant specifically for him. Each blot got progressively bigger until he reached puddles of blood that flowed out into a frozen lake. _

_And the wind whispered, "__**E.N.D**__."_

_There were three bodies, each with coal black hair, laid out at the center of the glade: two women and a man in between. Their eyes were closed. He couldn't save them. He never could save anyone. And yet the fool tried every single time. _

_And the wind hissed, "__**E.N.D.**__"_

_He slid his feet across the ice to check if it would support his weight each time he took a step. He would drag their dead weight to the shore across, dig them the graves they deserved, and lay by their side until he too was blanketed by white. When the shorthaired woman was finally within reach, he slipped, and landed on his knees. He looked down and through the misted glass-like barrier, saw that he was standing above a sleeping water mage. _

"_Juvia! Juvia, open your eyes!" he shouted, pounding relentlessly on the ice, but she would not wake. Her lips were so, so pale. _

_The foggy vapor began to clear. There were more bodies: Lyon, Natsu, Erza, Cana, Lucy, Wendy, the old man, everyone he had selfishly dared to love. Their faces were pressed up against the ice, trapped underneath. They were doomed because of him, and he couldn't save them. He was on all fours, striking the ice until his knuckles bled, but it would not break. _

_Something began to crack. He looked up and saw that ruptures were beginning to form from the corners of the man's mouth up to his hairline. The crevices spread all throughout his face, until it shattered and caved in completely. _

_And the wind howled, "__**E.N.D**__."_

_From the whole grotesquely marring the man's face, a great white demon arose. It swiped the bodies in one gesture and gnawed off their heads. It crunched on the skulls loudly, as if to mock him, before devouring the rest of their parts whole. It roared with laughter at the sight of him sprawled on the banks, too paralyzed with fear to run away. He opened his mouth, trying to wake the lifeless forms underneath, to warn them, to ask them to save him or drag him down with them below. _

_No sound would escape his lips despite the sensation of white-hot daggers being poured down his throat. The beast grabbed him in one hand. It held him tightly enough for him to feel his ribs being crushed into powder. He was being lowered into the mouth._

_And the wind screamed –_"Gray-sama!"

Gray's eyes opened very suddenly, wide and bulging with fear. He pushed off the hands resting on his shoulders and bolted out of his bed, but instead fell to the floor. Even in the complete night of the room, it was apparent that his entire body was shaking. The fallen sheets had tangled around him, and he bunched some of the fabric in his curled fists, squeezing with every ragged breath. The creaking sound of his open door made him rigid with paranoia, and then he buried his face in his hands.

Their faces, the air, Delioria, all looked and felt so real. It couldn't possibly be called a simple nightmare. It felt too much like a dreadful memory he had failed to flush out of his system, so it broke through his windows and forced him to drown until he could no longer breathe.

He felt her kneel beside him. She laid her hand lightly between his shoulder blades and ran it slowly but firmly up and down his spine, before rubbing soothing circles on his bare flesh. His trembling began to subside at her touch. Her other hand cupped his cheek, bringing it to face her. Her thumb brushed away the train of tears running down the side of his face. He crumbled into her arms and wept like a child.

"I couldn't save them," he rasped between heaving sobs. "I was too scared, I was too _fucking_ weak." She held him even tighter.

He buried his face into her hair, trying to memorize how warm she felt. That night, he needed Juvia to be the only one that existed in the darkness. There were no such things as ghosts, he wasn't afraid of monsters, but demons were a suffocating reality. They nested in scars and dined on fears, and he had plenty of both to offer. Juvia would die before she let that consume him. That was another thing he was afraid of.

But that night, with her azure eyes leaking, the crescendo of rain threatened the shadows into retreat. The burningly bright sensation of love washed over him, and for a while he was not afraid of anything.

She led him back into the comfort of his bed and spread the blanket over him. She placed a lingering kiss on his forehead, brushing her fingers against his temple as he dropped his head onto his pillow. Before she could make a move to return to her own room, he grabbed her arm, and she understood. She crawled into his bed and threw the covers over their heads. They lay on their sides, and he could feel her chest rise and fall against his back. She had an arm draped protectively over him, and the fingers traced the contours of his muscles.

"Thank you," he whispered, and she ghosted her lips over the crook of his neck.

He drifted off into dreamless slumber.

The next night, she tried to sneak into his bed again, this time wearing sheer baby doll lingerie. He angrily kicked her out and locked his door.

**V. Dancing**

Living in that hut was strictly for business. They were on a mission to gather information about Zeref's most dangerous creation, and become powerful enough to destroy it completely. There was no room for any gallivanting, merry-making, or time wasting. However, a simple Christmas Eve dinner wouldn't hurt. The few decorations she had hung were nice touches, and Gray particularly was proud of the Christmas mini cactus they had improvised.

He'd grown up at Fairy Tail, and Christmas wasn't a tradition he was willing to let go of just yet. Also, Juvia had only experienced a handful of holiday celebrations in her life, and Gray didn't think it was fair to deprive her of any more just because they were away from the guild. And besides, her Christmas cookies were amazing. The entire three-course meal was good, no doubt, but it was a few minutes to midnight and he was still munching on the gingerbread fairies she made.

Two wrapped boxes were placed on either side of the cactus at the center of their dining table. They watched as the clock finally struck twelve, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Juvia beat him to it.

"Merry Christmas, Gray-sama!" she squealed excitedly, like a child bursting to say something after being told to be quiet. She had such an eager look on her face that he couldn't help but laugh in high spirits.

"Merry Christmas," he replied with a grin. He pushed the smaller, rectangular box towards her. Her gift to him was a bit bigger, and it made him anxious in an irrational way he could not comprehend. When they were both holding their respective gifts, he said, "Okay, one, two, three, go!"

They began to tear through the paper, and she got to hers first. Her mouth fell open slightly as she lifted it from the paper that cushioned it. It was a necklace with a silver chain and a crystal butterfly pendant. The piece was beautifully crafted. Gray didn't usually spend much on gifts, but he put a little more effort into this one. She was the only one he was getting a present for that year, anyway.

"I figured you liked butterflies," he said, shrugging nonchalantly, but he was anticipating her reaction from out of the corner of his eye.

"It's beautiful," she told him earnestly. She lifted her hair and clasped it around her neck. It rested against her pale collarbone and suited her perfectly. "Juvia loves it. Thank you, Gray-sama." She smiled at him, and _why the fuck did his legs feel like gelatin._

"You're welcome," he said, and he didn't even notice that his smile was too wide. He continued to tear through the paper his until finally the bubble wrap was gone. It was a lacrima music player. Mira used to have an older model when they were younger, and Gray had accidentally broken one of the stereos. He blamed it on Natsu, and to that day, he had never felt guiltier than he did the moment he saw Natsu's shaking, bruised body.

"It's a bit silly, and Juvia was thinking about getting more clothes, but then she remembered Gray-sama saying that he didn't like it when it was too quiet in the house. He can play any song he wants, new ones are automatically put into the library," she babbled nervously. "Does he like it?" When he didn't reply, she her mind went into overdrive, wondering if she could get it exchanged for something else –

An upbeat swing began to play. _Close your eyes, and I'll kiss you! Tomorrow I'll miss you…_

He laughed, and he was genuinely glowing with joy. He didn't have much cause to laugh, those days, but her gift was just so thoughtful and so fitting. He loved music. Very few people knew that, and she was the only one who did anything with that information.

He pushed back his seat and began to dance around the house, belting out the song without a care if he hit the notes or not. He was just so deliriously happy, and he let the rhythm wash away every inhibition and fear in his body just for a while.

Juvia too, was laughing, with her eyes closed and her head tipped back. "Juvia hasn't seen Gray-sama dance since his battle with Cancer-san," she giggled, hiding her mouth with her hands.

The memory made him shiver. He mock scowled at her, "Never bring that up again." He pulled her up and she yelped in surprise.

"Juvia doesn't know how to dance!" she told him.

"It's easy! It's just moving. But with more feeling," he told her with a grin. To demonstrate, he walked across the room, but in an exaggerated, jumpy manner. He gestured for her to follow. She imitated him, and she looked like a penguin with an egg between its legs. "You're doing great!"

She stuck her tongue out at him, and he took her by the hand, leading her to sway around, before suddenly twirling her. Her skirt flowed out around her, her hair whipped his face, and as the music came to an abrupt halt, she crashed into his chest. She was staring up at him with her lapis lazuli eyes, biting her lip, and would someone kindly remind this fool how to breathe.

_Kiss me, out of the bearded barley…_

Well shit, her hands were on his shoulders anyway. He cautiously placed his hands on her waist, and they began to sway from side to side. She was staring determinedly at the floor, and he was tall enough to see over her head so he could pretend there was something immensely interesting on their kitchen wall, but he couldn't block out how light her hands felt, the sound of her breaths, the lavender scent of her hair.

The music was fading, and they had stopped moving for quite some time, but somehow she was standing closer than she had a minute ago, and Gray was beginning to wonder if maybe, it wouldn't be so bad if he…

At the sound of a fiddle, the pair jumped apart, and the wisp of silver lining disappeared.

"Juvia knows this song!" she said suddenly, and he raised his eyebrows, because he was familiar enough with the girl in front of him to know that she only listened to two types of music; classical, and heavy metal.

_Come on Eileen!_

She began to bob her head, closing her eyes as she sang. She did the weird Egyptian dance, and Gray could only stare, because she looked like a total freak. A few seconds later, he joined her. They leaned against each other and began to can-can. Finally they dissolved into jumps, screaming the song into each other's faces.

It was two in the morning, and they were loud and uncool and jumping on the couch. Until the sun rose, they could pretend that the world outside didn't exist.

**VI. Light**

They couldn't even make it to the door. His muscles were sore and pulled taut, and walking on his blisters felt like walking on a road of broken glass. The sun was dipping into the horizon and it was about time for them to start on dinner, but she just sighed and let herself fall onto the grass. He followed suit.

Too tired to be hungry, too tired to fall asleep, and so they lay on their backs and watched the fiery sky bleed to black. His open palm glided over the blades of grass before meeting her skin. He didn't hold her hand, but allowed the back of his index finger to run over her flesh. Her rapid heartbeat began to calm.

As the velvet sky darkened, the stars appeared. He'd before seen how they emerged, like something bubbling out of the water and breaking its surface. They just slowly, quietly faded in until their flickering lights became too bright to ignore.

"That's Cassiopeia," he heard her say. He turned his head and she was pointing up at the sky. "And beside her is Cepheus." She taught him the constellations and asterisms, their stories and how people used them to map out directions. When she finished each one, he'd point to another one nearby and she patiently explained.

"It's cool when you think about it. The stars could be thousands of miles away from each other but from here they seem so close. And they make art. They tell stories together. It's cool," he rambled thoughtlessly.

"Like a guild?" She was looking at him intently from under her thick lashes, and he'd been there so many times. Now he'd look back.

"Like a family," he said softly, sounding less like a grown man and more like a child lost in the dark. She squeezed his forearm and he returned the gesture.

"Juvia misses them too."

They lay on their sides, and he caught a lock of her hair between his fingers. They missed the star that shot over their heads. The night seemed to illuminate her pale skin, high lighting the soft contours of her face. Her azure eyes shone so brightly. He looked at her like he was a dying man and she was the last sunset he'd ever see.

"I've been with them almost my entire life. They guided me and kept me from the darkness for so long. Without them…I don't know anymore. I'm on this path but I don't know where to turn."

She turned away and her back was on the ground again. "See that star, Gray-sama? The brightest one in Ursa Minor?"

"Yeah, I see it."

"That's Polaris. It's the North Star. It's almost always constant. Before, when people were lost, they used it to find their way, like a compass," she told him. Polaris twinkled dutifully above. He found comfort in realizing that no matter how scattered his family was, they would always under the same sky.

"So when you're lost, Gray-sama, just look for the light, and you'll find your way home."

His stomach rumbled, and she burst out laughing. His face flushed and he grinned apologetically. Before he could stop her, she'd already gotten up and was dusting of her skirt. "Juvia will go heat up some late dinner," she said, chuckling slightly. She walked back inside, leaving the door open for him, and he watched her go.

He looked up at the North Star and wondered if it was not, perhaps, there in their kitchen, taking out their Tupperware. Gray smiled lazily, the wind blowing about his dark hair.

"I think I found it."

**VII. Sweet**

As soon as he opened his bedroom door, he was met by the distinct smell of vanilla. He let his heavy eyelids fall as he inhaled the saccharine scent of it being mixed in with other sweets. His senses led him to the kitchen, where Juvia was busy at work.

"Morning," he said with a yawn, stretching his arms over his head. His black hair was sticking out at odd angles and there was a bit of dried drool at the corner of his mouth. It was only after scratched his chest that he noticed he was clad in only his boxers. He swore half-heartedly.

"Good morning, Gray-sama!" she chirped, unfazed by his state of undress. She too was still in her nightgown, with an apron thrown over it. Her hair was up and her bangs were neatly pinned away from her face, to avoid getting any strands in the batter she was mixing.

He leaned over her shoulder, making sure to breathe lightly in her ear and taking satisfaction in the slight tremble in her body. "Watcha making?"

"Caramade Franks!" she replied, a tad louder than necessary. "Juvia found the recipe in the book she bought last week."

At the mention of the pastry, Gray's mouth started to water. He walked over to the pantry and sought out the spare apron, despite not having any clothes on. She glanced at him from her peripheral vision as he tied the string around his back. She was willing herself to resist the oncoming nosebleed, for the coppery taste of blood didn't sound compatible with the rest of the flavors. Nor was it hygienic, for that matter

"Okay, what can I do?" She was staring at him with her eyes bulging a little, and he was sure she was remembering the incident at her birthday, when he had tried baking her a cake. There were still scorch marks on the kitchen tiles. He added hastily, "I won't go anywhere near the oven! I can't fuck up mixing things, right? With your supervision, of course."

It was physically impossible to say no when he smiled at her like that. "Alright, Gray-sama can go do the custard filling. The measurements are on the page, all he has to do is read the instructions."

"Awesome," he grinned, and happily set to work. Determined to impress, he spent a while making sure that he got the exact amount of the ingredients. He measured and re-measured the sugar, and when he wasn't satisfied, he would pour it back into the bag and start again, holding the cup to eye level and inspecting it thoroughly. He wasn't aware that Juvia was struggling to contain her laughter.

"Gray-sama can put all of them here when he's done," she said, handing him a bowl.

"Okay, I'm done," he said proudly. He showed her the perfectly measured ingredients he lined up on the counter. His area was a mess of sugar, egg-shells, and spilled milk, but he looked so pleased with himself, like a four year old presenting an uncommissioned crayon mural on the walls of a house. She beamed at him and poked his cheek, smearing a bit of flour on his face.

The process of whisking began. As he mixed the ingredients in, he watched Juvia knead the pastry dough. Before he could look away, she raised her head and met his gaze. There was a small, teasing smirk on her lips, and he didn't think he'd ever seen Juvia smirk before. His intestines were knotting themselves into bows.

"Not bad, Gray-sama," she said in amusement.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, of course. I could probably open my own bakeshop or something," he boasted, trying to regain a bit of his bravado. To demonstrate, he increased the speed of his whisking. He was trained in the art of stealth and strength, physically conditioned to perfection. This custard was no match for him.

"Ah, not so fast, Gray-sama, or else it will –" The thick cream flew from the bowl, spattering the walls, the table, and Juvia's face. She wiped a small portion of it off with her finger and sucked on it, tasting the custard. Gray was a step away from cardiac arrest.

"Shit, shit, I'm so sorry Juvia, I'll get you a towel," he said, panicking slightly as she continued to stare at him with blank eyes. To his immense surprise, she smiled angelically at him.

And then she took a fistful of the spilled sugar and sprinkled it over his head.

"It wasn't sweet enough," she told him. She was giggling at his dumbstruck expression, biting her lip. He needed a response.

Obviously, the mature thing to do was throw flour at her.

The war began. She cracked an egg on his shoulder and he grabbed her from behind. He caged her in his arms and smeared more of the custard in her hair. She shrieked at him, struggling to get out but laughing all the same. They continued to grapple until she slipped and pulled him down with her. The result was him landing on top of her, with his face buried in her neck and his limbs on either side of her body.

He tried pulling himself up, but the moment he saw her face they both froze. Gray despaired, wondering why lately there had been an inappropriate lack of distance between them. It wasn't doing much for his crumbling sanity.

She was covered in powder; her hair was sticky and matted. She was a complete mess, but she was looking up at him from under her thick lashes, mouth parted slightly, and he didn't notice himself slowly leaning forward. Her eyes fluttered closed, because she already knew what was going to happen.

When their lips were a centimeter apart, he jerked himself away and stood. He offered his hand out to her, and immediately regretted it when she took it to hoist herself up. It burned when her skin touched his.

"It was an accident," he breathed, and she nodded very enthusiastically in reply. "Sorry about the mess. Maybe I really shouldn't be allowed in the kitchen."

"It's…fine," she said, swallowing hard. She was looking at the ground, and Gray could see that her hands were trembling. "Gray-sama can go get the mop and clean up, Juvia will finish the custard."

"Okay."

"Okay." Neither of them moved, until Juvia cleared her throat.

"Right, um, I should. I should go now," he rambled, stepping past her with his heart hammering in his chest.

Once he stepped outside of the house, he sat by the doorsteps and cradled his head in his hands. They were beyond the point of turning back. The walls were crumbling down, and he had nowhere to hide anymore. It was a really, really bad time to be thinking about this, but it hit him like a train, like chugging down a bottle of vodka, like being at the other end of Natsu's punches.

This was the brink of his insanity, because all he could think about was her hair, her eyes, her fucking legs in those goddamn shorts, her voice, how awesome she was at baking. Her kindness and her bravery, the way she was fully capable of destroying whoever she wanted in the blink of an eye but she'd never let it be that easy because she never gave up on people. The way she'd done what he couldn't. Because she was good. Because she was warm.

And so he loved her.

* * *

A/N: I haven't written anything in so long huhuhuhuuuuu. This is such a dorky fic but eh.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoyed. Please feel free to tell me whatever you thought about this fic, whether good or bad, through a review!


	2. I Can't Help But Remember James Dean

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL. **_

* * *

_**I Can't Help But Remember James Dean**_

* * *

Gray was floored at how great this ravioli was. He took another bite into the pasta disc, and the delightful contrast between the spinach and the cream burst in his mouth. The place was great, the food was great, and he completely deserved this after being trapped inside a slimy giant slug for two hours.

"Juvia, you _have_ to try this," he said, but when he looked up at his plate the chair across him was empty. He furrowed his brow in confusion, wondering if she had taken off for the rest room. He shrugged and went back to his meal.

His blissful state was interrupted by a something suddenly gripping his ankle very hard. "What the fuck!" The waiters and the other diners looked at him reproachfully. Embarrassed, he ducked his head under the table and pulled the tablecloth up. His partner was hugging her knees, rocking back and forth. She was staring blankly into space and murmuring to herself. She turned her head and their eyes met.

"What are you doing?" A part of him really didn't want to know.

"Get down!" she hissed, and he too disappeared beneath the table. It was cramped and her elbow was in his ribs. Juvia wouldn't stop shaking and saying incoherent things. This was weird, even by her standards. He was justifiably alarmed.

"Why are we under the table? They're probably going to think we skipped on the check or something." He just wanted to finish his ravioli.

She was on all fours and leaned across his legs. She was too distracted to notice that the love of her life was having difficulty breathing. The water mage lifted the cloth up just enough for her to peak before quickly pulling it down again. She retreated back into her ball, hyperventilating.

Once Gray managed to push down the sensation of her brushing against him, he grabbed her shoulders. "Juvia, what's the matter?"

His stern tone snapped her out of her semi-panic attack, and she inhaled sharply. She lifted the tablecloth again, this time a little higher so that the both of them could see if they slouched a little, but not enough for them to be exposed.

Her finger pointed somewhere near the door. "Does Gray-sama see that man over there, with the purple hair?"

Ignoring the fact that her sentence rhymed, sort of, his eyes followed the direction of her fingers. Gray watched as said purple-haired fellow took a sip of his wine, scrunching his face disgustedly at the taste.

"Yeah, I see him. Who is he?"

"Juvia's ex-boyfriend." His stomach lurched, and suddenly he didn't feel so hungry anymore.

"You had a boyfriend?" His mouth ran a little dry. Juvia was a very beautiful, intelligent, strong, loving young woman –objectively. The concept of her having anything other than a platonic relationship [with anyone other than you, an annoying voice in his head interjected] with anybody shouldn't have come as a shock to him.

Juvia nodded solemnly. "Bora of Prominence. Juvia dated him while she was in Phantom Lord, and he was part of a guild called Titan Nose."

"I…see."

"Eventually he got fed up with the rain so he broke up with Juvia. It only lasted a couple months," she shrugged. Her expression was so cavalier; it was as if it didn't bother her at all.

So why were they hiding underneath a table at a five-star restaurant? Gray held his tongue.

Apparently, however, Juvia was capable of reading his mind, and so said very loudly, "Ah, Juvia's earring! Here it is. Thank you for helping me find it, Gray-sama." She crawled out and he took it as his cue to follow. When they emerged, the restaurant was giving them very weird looks. He thought the best thing to do at that point was to have his ravioli wrapped to-go and get the bill as soon as possible.

Juvia was hiding her face behind a dessert menu. When he was about to raise his arm to ask for the check, a shadow fell over their table.

"Fancy meeting you here, Juvia of the Deep," a silky voice drawled. Gray hated his voice both on principle and because it was genuinely annoying.

"Bora-san!" she yelped. She self-consciously tried to pat down her hair. The menu fell into her stew. "Um. Good to see you."

He gave her a wide, crooked smile, and his eyes swept over her face to the flesh exposed by the slit in her dress. "Likewise. You look _much _better." And he said this as though she had been anything less than pretty at fifteen.

"Er. How kind of Bora-san to say so."

"You're welcome. So what are you up to these days? I heard Fairy Tail broke up. Isn't it such a funny coincidence that both guilds that you joined ended up disbanding?" he chuckled. Gray was gripping his butter knife hard.

The faint sound of rain outside could be heard. The ice mage cleared his throat. Bora's eyes were still glued to Juvia, but he inclined his head an inch in Gray's direction and spoke. "And who might you be?"

"Ah," Juvia looked uncomfortably between the two of them. "Gray-sama, this is…Bora-san. Bora-san, this is Gray-sama, Juvia's fr –"

"Gray Fullbuster," he said, with wary eyes studying the arrival. However, he was raised with better manners, and thus he gave a mechanical smile and held out his hand. And because the creep still wasn't looking at him and instead was assessing Juvia like meat at a butcher shop, Gray couldn't possibly be held accountable for his succeeding action. "I'm Juvia's boyfriend."

Both jaws across him dropped. Juvia was fighting a very violent internal battle. Gray nodded slightly, a signal for her to play along.

"_You're_ her boyfriend?" he said incredulously. At this, he gave a nasty, mirthless laugh. "Boy. That made my night."

"Problem?" he growled. He grabbed Juvia's hand and locked it firmly in his.

"Oh, nothing. Just a bit surprising," he guffawed. He gave Gray a pitying look and patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. Gray shrugged him off.

"Spit it out."

"Easy, man. All I meant was, well. How and why do you put up with that?" he asked, jerking his thumb towards the woman across him. As if on cue, the rain got even harder.

"It doesn't rain when you're not around," he replied coldly. Juvia winced and glanced at Gray in concern.

"So I still have that effect on you, Juvia?" he said, whirling around and raising his eyebrows suggestively at the blue haired woman. Her eyes darkened and she pursed her lips.

"No, you do not. You should leave now, Bora-san. " She was blatantly glaring daggers at him now, and Gray could not understand for the life of him why that kind of turned him on.

The purple-haired man casually held his arms up in surrender. "I'm going, I'm going. Take my advice, though, kid," he told Gray, "and get out while you can. She's prettier now, yeah, but nothing special. There are plenty of other fish in the sea. And she's so damn clingy too, and don't even get me started on the annoying ra…"

He never got to finish that sentence, because Gray abruptly stood from his chair and punched him in the jaw so hard he fell over and slid across the room. The people around them, who had been watching the heated exchange, shouted and vacated their seats. Bora got up and got into fighting mode, but before Gray could get another hit, Juvia beat him to it.

"Water Lock!" Bora was trapped inside a sphere of water. He was noticeably gasping for air as Juvia lifted the sphere to carry him outside. Gray dutifully waited by the door and pushed it open for her. The bubble burst and he fell to the pavement still choking.

"He was annoying," she told Gray, and he laughed, agreeing wholeheartedly. It wasn't raining anymore.

The fun didn't last very long. Two magical enforcers approached them. "Were you the ones who incapacitated this man?" They began to panic, and he stepped in front of Juvia to speak. "Thank you. We've been trying to nab this perp for months."

"He's a what?!"

"Juvia dated that...?!"

Bora was scowling, and looked like a mangy street rat in the rain. "Bora of Prominence. Put young girls under spells and ran a slave trade ring. He escaped prison two years ago. You've done your country a service, have a good evening." They saluted the two mages and threw the criminal in the back of their cart.

Once Juvia collected herself, she lunged forward in an attempt to follow the moving cart, but Gray caught her. "Juvia is not done with you, you evil –" and she proceeded to swear so badly that Gray had to put his hand over her mouth because of the looks they were getting.

"Excuse me," an old man said as he approached him, and Gray was about to apologize for Juvia's horrible language in the presence of children when, "My granddaughter was almost a victim to that scoundrel, and it took two mages from Fairy Tail to bring him down. Now you two have put him away for good, and I cannot thank you enough."

The reminder of the guild made Gray's chest pang a little, but he shook the old man's hand and grinned. "It was our pleasure." It truly was. He enjoyed it.

His frail arms gestured to the restaurant behind him. "I own this establishment, and from now on, you two are welcome to eat here any time, free of charge." That meant endless amounts of ravioli, and Gray could feel his mouth water.

They thanked him and, once they had collected their heaping amounts of take-out, made their way back home. Gray felt light and jolly, because he could smell the food in the bag, Juvia's arm was wrapped around his, and he'd gotten to punch her ex-boyfriend in the face. It was a great night.

"Juvia cannot believe that she actually went out with that horrible person," she shuddered.

Gray couldn't believe it either. He didn't like thinking about what could have happened if Juvia had still been dating him when he got into the syndicate ring. "Mhm. Why'd you even date that loser anyway?" he said absentmindedly, and Juvia stopped in her tracks. Their arms were still linked, so he was pulled back as well.

"He was the only one ever interested in Juvia. She thought that if she wasn't with him, she'd be alone forever." She looked up at the starless sky. "She was fifteen and stupid. Gajeel-san used to say he was only with Juvia because she was in the Element Four."

Gray had an insult for him at the tip of his tongue, but Juvia wasn't done. "When he broke up with Juvia, he told her that he was tired of the rain, and she can't really blame him for that. He told her no one would ever be able to love her, and for a long time, Juvia thought he was right."

This explained why she had been so distraught at the restaurant; this was someone who had traumatized her so deeply with human relationships. Gray wondered if it was too late to go back and pummel him into the dirt. He watched as her bangs blew slightly in the wind, and her bottom lip began to quiver. It was incomprehensible, how anyone could ever be stupid enough to let go of this girl, who was so fucking beautiful, so brave and selfless, who had so much love to give, and oh. He felt like shit.

They continued the walk home in silence, with her cradling her arms and his hands stuffed in in his pockets, and he vaguely wondered if he should say something. When they arrived at the porch and Gray was digging into his pocket for the key, she said suddenly, "Thank you. Back there with Bora-san. And for listening. Juvia needed that." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Gray-sama's the best fake boyfriend ever."

She was looking up at him with a tiny smile on her face that made his insides flop. "No problem," he said, grinning back at her. His fingers tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, but then, becoming aware of how intimate the action seemed, how close she was standing, chose to muss up her locks. "Go get some rest. We've got a lead to hunt tomorrow."

"Okay," she said a little breathlessly. She hadn't stopped staring at him with those impossibly blue eyes. "Good night, Gray-sama."

"Night," he said. He stood by the door and watched her disappear into her room. He sat on the couch, deep in thought. There was something now that wasn't there before.

* * *

A/N: Idk man I've always wanted Gray to meet Juvia's ex-boyfriend.


	3. F Is For Friends Who Do Stuff Together

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL. **_

* * *

_**F Is For Friends Who Do Stuff Together**_

* * *

It all started with a package.

There was a small, brown cardboard box left on his doorstep. He wisely prodded it far away from his house with a long stick before opening it. Just in case it blew up, or something. He could never be too sure those days. The packaging tape that sealed it was easily cut by his fingernails, which he really should have gotten around to cutting.

After cautiously folding the flaps to the side, he had to dig through the multiple layers of Styrofoam and bubble wrap before getting to whatever he was meant to receive. Once his fingertips touched something cold, hard, and smooth, he was disappointed to find a hand-sized rectangular metal plate with glass on the front. He turned it over and saw a note stuck to the back. _Click here it_ said, with an arrow pointing at a flat button at the top. It was almost as if the person who sent the package was absolutely certain Gray was going to miss that button.

Gray put the pad on the ground before poking the button with his stick. After all, it might have exploded while he was holding it. Losing his hand would present a rather difficult…handicap. The screen flickered with light and the device began to beep loudly. The ice mage ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

The noise stopped, and was replaced by a voice that made Gray instinctively run even harder. "Answer the phone, Gray, or I will come down there myself and surgically attach it to your ear."

.

.

.

It would have been nice, having a friendly conversation with Erza. Gray hadn't seen her in months, and he missed her like fuck, even if she did beat him up all the time. She was like his bossy, violent older sister who was there to call him out on his shit and guide him through life. He would have liked catching up with her, asking what she was up to, talking about the good old days.

He would have liked that a lot. Unfortunately, their friendly conversation felt more like a soldier giving his general a status report.

"I trust you have found suitable living conditions?"

"Yes."

"And you had better be keeping it clean, Gray," she told him very sternly. "I've been to your old apartment, and you're much too old to be leaving your clothes lying around anymore. Just because no one's around doesn't mean you can just let the place go."

"It's clean. Juvia's sort of a neat freak. I mean, of course I help with the cleaning, but she –"

He heard her her spit out whatever she was drinking. "Juvia?!"

"Oh yeah, I was getting to that. We're together." There was a screeching sound that made him jerk the phone an arm's length away from his ear. Even then, he could hear successive crashing of things being toppled over.

"How could you not have invited me to your wedding?!"

Okay, it might have admittedly been the fault of his wording, but Gray still had every right to spit out his imaginary drink. "What the actual fuck?"

"Really, Gray, that was very rude of you," she said, and she sounded genuinely hurt. "Just because the guild is gone doesn't mean we aren't _friends _anymore. It wouldn't be that hard to send a letter, now would it?"

"Erza," he said exasperatedly, "We're not married. We just live together."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. For a moment, Gray thought that comprehension of what he was trying to tell her was starting to sink in.

"YOU'RE LIVING IN SIN?!"

.

.

.

After explaining to the Requip Mage that he and Juvia were only together in the physical sense (and even that needed some clearing up. God, Gray really needed to work on his wording) she seemed to grasp the concept of them simply being friends who lived under the same roof, in very separate bedrooms. Oddly enough, she sounded a bit disappointed.

They did catch up, in their own special way. While there was no question that Erza was fully capable of taking care of herself, it was comforting for him to hear first hand that she was doing fine.

"Anyway, I didn't send you this just for idle chatting," she said, suddenly adopting a more formal, business-like tone. "I have a job for you. You might have some personal interest in the matter, but I expect that to be useful instead of a hindrance."

"I'm listening."

"It's going to be dangerous."

"It always is."

.

.

.

The first step in his mission was gathering information. This involved hanging around shady places and making shady friends. There was a network, and pyramid of people in charge, and Gray had to integrate himself into that system. To do that, he had to start from the bottom.

"Success. Brann is getting me in. I'm a neophyte," he told Erza over the phone as he began his journey home. She called him every other day to check up on him and feed him instructions.

"Congratulations. I'll ask Jellal to send you a list of potentially useful contacts. Not necessarily people you can trust, but they're in strategic positions."

"Alright, that's –wait a minute. Jellal?" he said, his lips curling into a smirk.

"What, did you think _I_ would be familiar with all those criminals?" she said haughtily. "I'm working with Crime Sorciere. The remaining members of Oracion Seis have joined Jellal and Meredy, so they're the experts on who we're supposed to know, how they operate, and how to deal with them."

With more than ten years of friendship and horrendous beatings on his side, Gray could call himself an expert on how Erza operated. "So…you're with Jellal," he said slyly, dragging her back to the topic at hand. He could practically hear the steam rising from her ears.

"Yes. So what?" she said, and he might have been more scared if her voice wasn't quivering slightly. Her face was probably as red as her hair.

It was becoming clear to him that it was much more fun to tease Erza when she was a hundred miles away. "Do you stay up late together, going over documents on his desk and then –"

"I know where you live," she snarled, and that made him shut up a little. It would have been nice to pay her back for all her loaded questions. He liked having his body in one piece, and he wouldn't put it past her to drop by just to beat him up if he pushed her too far.

Once he arrived home, he locked the door behind him and took of his shoes. The phone was tucked between his ear and his shoulder. Erza was still rattling off instructions, along with subtle death threats. "How's Juvia?" she asked once she was done.

"She's okay. We trained pretty hard yesterday, so Juvia was dead asleep when I left. Made it easier to sneak out," he said. He'd discovered that Juvia's body clock was rather unique. She could sleep through a nuclear holocaust, and yet rose early every morning without need for an alarm.

"It's good that you train together. Your affinities are similar, so you could both learn from each other," Erza said.

"Yeah, I know. She showed me some pretty interesting tricks, so I tried teaching her some of the Ice Make basics Ur taught me."

"I hope she doesn't catch this stripping habit of yours," Erza joked. Gray did not respond.

"Um…"

"HOW DARE YOU TAINT THE WHITE LILY OF JUVIA'S INNOCENCE."

.

.

.

After a few weeks Gray started to disappear more frequently for days at a time. He'd finally achieved control over his new Demonslayer powers. He could recede the markings on his body at will, and he knew just how to use the menacing appearance it gave him to his advantage. He was officially a member of Avatar. He could begin working his way up the ranks.

Juvia was visibly worried about him. Whenever she asked where he was going, he'd reply with a vague explanation about going on some errands. She never pried. Gray wondered if perhaps she was afraid to hear an answer. He didn't like to think about what she probably thought he was doing.

"I think she hates me," Gray told Erza one day.

"There is no universe where that is physically possible," Erza replied. Reconsidering her answer, she added, "except maybe Edolas."

"She's mad at me. She won't look at me," he said glumly.

"She does have a right to be upset," Erza conceded. "It really is a lot safer to keep her out of this, though. She'd definitely follow you if you told her."

"Yeah, I know, I know," Gray sighed. He wanted so badly to tell her, but held himself back. Not when there was so much at risk. Not when there was the slightest chance she would be put in danger.

"Why don't you make it up to her?" Erza suggested. "Do something nice. Take her out, get her a gift, bake her a cake." At this, Gray heard her stomach rumble.

"I tried baking before. She banned me from getting anywhere near the oven," he snickered at the memory. Erza had a point though, he thought as he mulled over her advice. "I could take her to the beach. She loves the ocean."

"That's a good idea," she said encouragingly. "It might take her mind off things. And you two deserve the break. You're also conducting your own investigation on E.N.D. right?"

"Yeah. She's been really helpful. She's got her own underground connections from Phantom, and she's a lot better than me at doing research." Gray wanted to thank Juvia for everything, from the work on E.N.D., which she had no obligation or personal motive to do at all, to making awesome food every day. He'd initially intended to purse this mission by himself, but now he knew he wouldn't have made it that far without her. "Maybe I should prepare a picnic too. I could bring take-out from this restaurant she likes."

"You do that," Erza agreed. "I need to go now. Have fun on your date!"

"Okay, thanks for –this is _not_ a date!" he shouted, his face flushing beet red. He heard her cackle before hanging up.

.

.

.

This was it. This was the big one. He was almost a part of Avatar's inner circle. All he needed to do was prove his dedication to the cause. There was going to be a tournament system to determine who was going to be a part of Avatar's strongest. Gray had to stifle his laughter when he heard this. Not only did this give the opportunity to beat up the assholes he'd been craving to punch in the face for weeks, he could test out the full extent of his training's progress.

"I sent you a present."

"I see it. This better not be condoms again," he growled. He shuddered, remembering the fiasco that transpired when Juvia found the box. He ripped the brown paper open and found a folded black and gold cloak.

"Does it fit?" she asked, upon hearing the tearing sounds. He headed to the bathroom, took off his shirt, and slipped it over his shoulders. It was his size, but collar was too high for his taste.

"I look like a fuckboy, damn it."

"That's the point. I went shopping with Cobra and told him to pick something he would wear on an everyday basis."

"This is supposed to help me blend in?" Gray said, practicing his evil face in the mirror.

"You'll need to be very convincing," Erza told him seriously. "While you are brash, occasionally arrogant and often tactless, merciless killer you are not.

"Gee, thanks. I'm touched."

"You're welcome. I raised you well." He had plenty of scarring childhood memories to attest to that.

"So what do I do? Like you said, my natural state isn't merciless killer. I don't even look like one, even with this thing on.""

Erza hummed as she contemplated a solution. "Who would you consider the biggest douchebag you know?"

That was easy. "Lyon."

"And what is it about Lyon that makes him a douchebag to you?"

"Where do I even begin," Gray scoffed. "His complete lack of shame, his annoying 'I'm better than you' attitude, how fucking entitled he feels to everything he wants."

"Focus on aesthetic first."

"Okay. His dumb clothes, his dumb smirk, his dumb hair…" he trailed off, catching sight of Juvia's hair products on the side of the sink. "Bingo."

.

.

.

The first time Gray called Erza, it was a Code Red. It was early in the morning, and Erza had still been sleeping quite soundly, dreaming about eating her strawberry cake atop a pile of bodies, when her phone rang like a siren. She scrambled out of her bed in alarm, getting tangled in her sheets. Once she kicked them off, she dove for her phone.

"Have you been discovered? Are you under attack?" she asked frantically, ready to spring into a rescue mission.

He was panting heavily. "I'm fine. No, I'm not. Well. It's…it's…complicated."

Sensing he was in no life-threatening situation, Erza was starting to get annoyed. "What happened?"

Gray was leaning against a tree in the forest, trying to catch his breath. "I wasn't thinking. I tried so hard but I can't. It's there, it won't go away," he choked.

"Spit it out," she barked.

"I'm in love with Juvia," he said hoarsely. The line was silent. He thought perhaps she had fainted in shock. "Erza? You there?"

"My hair is red."

"What?"

"I thought we were making a list of obvious things," she deadpanned.

"How the fuck could you have known, I only admitted that this morning," Gray said angrily. "I even rejected her after the Games!"

"Because I know you," Erza said, and that was it. He slid down against the trunk, sitting with his legs sprawled in front of him.

"Why am I such an idiot?" he groaned.

"I've asked myself that since day one. I tried beating it out of you but evidently it didn't work." He began hitting the back of his head against the tree. "I'm curious, though. What triggered this grand epiphany of yours?"

"It isn't something that just happened, honestly. I mean, I've found her attractive for a long time. Fuck, she was cute the first time I fought her, with her girly parasol thing and. Fuck."

"Gray. Focus."

"And you know, I could never look at her the same way I look at you and Lucy. I mean, she's in love with me, so of course our relationship would be different. But after moving in together her, I've started to have…stirrings."

"Stirrings?"

"Yes. Stirrings. So I knew what was happening. It's been here for a while but I thought it was just because we were spending so much time together. This morning was just. Fuck. Her fucking eyes oh my god."

"What happened this morning?"

"And the kitchen was a mess and she was laughing and –"

"Well? What happened?" she coaxed excitedly.

"I almost kissed her." Erza stopped speaking, and Gray knew he had finally surprised her.

"What do you mean _almost_?!" she screeched.

"Seriously? That's what you're reacting to?"

"Do you know how it feels for a girl when you _almost_ kiss her?" she raged. "She wonders what's wrong with her. She wonders if her breath stinks or if there's something in her teeth. She'll think that it was only a spur of the moment thing, because you're already there but you pull back because you don't actually like her. And then you make up some shitty lie about having a fiancée so then she's _really _going to think you don't like her. But no, you're actually just this really clueless, really inconsiderate, stupid piece of –"

"…Jellal pulled this on you too, didn't he?"

She proceeded to scream at him, and it made Gray feel a little. It was comforting that he wasn't necessarily the biggest idiot on the continent.

.

.

.

Telling Erza about his feelings for Juvia proved to be pleasantly cathartic for Gray. Now he had someone to rant to whenever Juvia was being obnoxiously adorable. Unfortunately for Erza, this happened to be every waking second of the day.

"Her legs, man. Every part of her is amazing, of course, but her legs. She came out in a pair of white shorts this morning to do some gardening and I pretty much died."

"Does she still have those? They were my birthday gift for her last year," Erza said, trying to steer the conversation to a more family-friendly direction.

"Then you're indirectly responsible for the heart attack I almost suffered."

"I think I liked you better when your feelings caused you inner turmoil," Erza grumbled, but the jab was half-hearted. This was a big step for Gray. He wasn't someone overly fond of talking about emotions, or even having emotions to begin with. "When do you plan to tell her?"

Gray rubbed the back of his neck. "It isn't a good time to start anything. Maybe after this E.N.D. business and when I'm not a wreck. She deserves that."

"I understand. I just want you to think about this; occupational hazard is the entire job description. There's never really going to be a 'good time.' And that doesn't stop time from passing."

.

.

.

"And there's this guy, Jerome. He has this sword with some sort of corrosive on it. I think you could take him, but the thing that worries me about this guy is that he has dirt on everyone. He does his research. It's a matter of time before he gets suspicious."

"I see. We'll discuss how to deal with him tomorrow. Good work," she told him, and then she hung up.

He'd been gone for a week. That was the longest he'd ever been away, but he needed to work on gaining their trust. He wasn't in deep yet, so he still hadn't been offered the privilege of a bunk at the base, but it he expected it to happen soon.

Gray caught sight of his reflection in the window. He looked the part, and given how much respect he garnered in Avatar, he played the part well. He smoothed down his hair and waited for the marks to disappear before quietly entering.

Juvia was fast asleep on the couch. She was clad in one of his old shirts, and it was much too big for her, reaching up to her thighs. Gray gently hooked his arms underneath her legs and her back, cradling her against him. His stomach lurched as he noticed the dark circles around her eyes. She'd been crying. She'd been waiting for him.

He laid her on her bed and spread the sheets over her. Giving in to the urge to reach out and touch her, he brushed the bangs away from her eyes. It calmed him to simply stand there and listen to the sound of her soft breaths. She snored every now and then, ungracefully, as though there was something caught in her throat. He really did love her.

_It doesn't stop time from passing. _

"Just a little longer, okay?" he whispered, more to himself than the sleeping girl before him.

.

.

.

At six in the morning, Wednesday, Gray received his first Code Red call from Erza. He'd barely touch the 'answer' button when, "I think I'm pregnant!"

What great news to wake up to, Erza, congratulations. "You're WHAT?" He felt a bit bad that his instinctual first thought was _shit, she spawns_.

"I just had my period a week before waking up in bed with Jellal so I don't know if I'm late or not, but I've been throwing up a lot." Never in his life had he even once desired to know anything about her menstrual cycle, her sex life, or her digestive refluxes.

"You're always harping on me about having premarital sex with Juvia but apparently you've been doing the nasty with your own blunette? Hypocrite."

"Shut up," she hissed at him. "It was one time. We were very drunk, and I think Meredy put something in our drinks –_are you having premarital sex with Juvia?"_

"If I were, I wouldn't have answered the phone," he replied harshly, rubbing his temples. It was too early for this. He wished Erza would stop calling to scream at him about hypothetically besmirching Juvia's virtue. The migraine it caused prevented him from doing more important things. Like actually besmirching Juvia's virtue. "I'm going back to bed. Tell me if there are going to be mini-Erzas running around anytime soon."

"No!" she shrieked so loudly that he nearly dropped his phone.

"Stop screaming," he groaned.

"Stop complaining. I'm very stressed, and the idea of being stressed because of hormone imbalance is making me even more stressed," Erza babbled. "I need a drink."

"The fuck, if you actually are pregnant then you're not supposed to drink! Ugh. What do you want me to do?" he asked, finally giving in. It was no use. She'd bully him until he did what she wanted.

"Meet me at the address I'm going to send. Also, I need you to buy me a box of pregnancy tests. See you in two hours." This was _not_ in the job description.

"Don't you dare hang up on –YOU BETTER NAME THE THING AFTER ME, GODDAMNIT."

* * *

A/N: In the end, it was just food poisoning from spoiled strawberry cake. Lol this turned out longer than I expected. Wow, I have no idea why 15 year old me wasted so much time torturing dbag Gray. Dorky, lovestruck Gray is so much more fun to play with. Also I will never characterize Erza Scarlet decently so Jesus take the wheel.

Thank you for reading this mess! Please feel free to tell me whatever you thought about it through a review. I'd love to hear from you. Also, I've got chapter with Love Guru Juvia planned, so if you want some love advice from her, go ahead and send your situation /question through the reviews or through an ask on my Tumblr.


	4. An Axe to Grind

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL. **_

* * *

_**An Axe To Grind**_

* * *

This ranked high on the list of the worst days of Gray Fullbuster's life. Considering that his eighteen –technically twenty-seven –years included watching his family die, watching his second family die, having the island he was on blown up by a dragon, actually dying himself, and having his dick get caught in his zipper as he was stripping it off, that really was saying something.

"Juvia-chan, this curry is the best thing I've ever tasted. If I could have this curry everyday for the rest of my life, I'd die a happy man," Lyon declared.

It was a mystery how he said in a manner so over-the-top and yet at the same time genuine, but the more important thing was that it made Juvia blush, and thus made Gray homicidal. When Lyon really tried, he could make _stones _blush. The bastard was charming.

Today, the two ice mages found out they'd accidentally been assigned the same mission, and were forced to split the reward. Despite their near flawless teamwork, Lyon's bossiness drove Gray crazy. He hated how the older mage acted as though Gray was an idiot who was incapable of getting anything done by himself.

It progressively got worse when they finished late, and Lyon missed the last train to his hometown. After deciding that none of the nearby inns were worth throwing cash at, he invited himself over to Gray's house, which was a twenty-minute walk from the station. During the journey home, he proceeded to criticize Gray's life decisions, his fashion sense, and hygiene. None of those compared to the shitstorm Gray had to endure when Juvia opened the door.

Ah, sweet Juvia. She'd misinterpreted this 'sleepover' in the worst way possible, offering to stay at an inn so that the boys could have their 'privacy.' His eye still twitched at the memory.

Now he had another problem to add to his growing list. Lyon was sitting much too close to Juvia, and was leaning across with his elbows propped up on the table (what horrible manners) with his chin resting on his folded hands, staring dreamily at the water mage as she gave him the recipe. Gray stabbed his chicken with his fork, successfully poking four neat holes through the bone.

"So how was your mission today?" Juvia asked conversationally.

"It turned out pretty well," Lyon replied right away, beating Gray before he could open his mouth. "There was a mix up when the job request was sent. The guy was panicking a little when the two of us showed up, but we sorted it out in no time."

"It's a good thing it turned out to be you, Lyon-sama. That mistake happens quite often. A lot of mages from big guilds bully freelancers out of jobs so they don't have to split the reward."

"Have you ever encountered people like that, Juvia-chan?"

"A few times, but Juvia doesn't let them have their way. It helps, of course, when they catch sight of this," she said, twisting a little so that the mark on her upper leg was exposed by her skirt's slit. Gray highly did not approve of that, because that meant Juvia was constantly flashing other people when they weren't taking jobs together, and was currently giving Lyon a generous heaping of her creamy thigh. He hated his life. He continued to eat, as he was clearly being excluded from this conversation.

"Still, though, freelancing seems tough," Lyon frowned. "Most job requests are sent to private guilds rather than to the council, am I right?"

Juvia shrugged her shoulders before nodding in response. "Luckily, though, freelancing is not very popular. Most mages choose to join a guild. It's relatively easy to join one –well, depending on the guild."

"It does seem a lot easier…" Suddenly, Lyon's eyes lit up in the visual representation of a light bulb being switched on in his brain. "Why don't you join Lamia Scale?"

Gray, having cleaned out both his plate and the serving dish, choked on his own spit.

"What?" Juvia squeaked. "Juvia…join Lamia Scale?"

"Why not?" Lyon said excitedly. "Steadier income, you have access to more missions, and you'd gain a family who supports you."

"Juvia thinks –but what about Gray-sama?" she said, turning suddenly to the raven-haired man beside her. He glared at both of them as if to say, _Yes, I'm still here_.

"Of course he can come too, if he wants," Lyon said dismissively, but Gray replied with a harsh 'No' faster than he could finish his sentence. Juvia turned to him, but Gray missed whatever expression was on her face, for he was staring determinedly at the wall, feigning disinterest as though his life depended on it. In effect, he also missed the hurt look that crossed her features.

"Still, though, Juvia –"

"Oh, and I almost forgot to mention. Wendy's a part of Lamia Scale now. She came to us a few days after the guild disbanded." Lyon looked at her with his dark, intense eyes, and said; "I know we could never replace Fairy Tail in your heart, so I'm not going to even try. But maybe you'd find a new kind of love, something different, but just as great."

Here was something Gray deeply envied of Lyon; the man could talk his face off. He always sounded like he meant what he said, and yet at the same time, worded it so poetically and convincingly, it was hard not to be affected. Gray, on the other hand, was as eloquent as a sponge. Juvia was biting her bottom lip, a gesture he'd come to understand as confusion, and he hoped it wasn't a signal of her giving in.

"Thank you for the offer, Lyon-sama, but Juvia doesn't –" Yet again, Lyon interrupted her, and Gray's urge to strangle him only got stronger.

"Please just think about it, Juvia-chan. Don't tell me your answer until I leave tomorrow morning. I really think you'd be happy in Lamia Scale. If you were anything less than happy everyday, I promise, I'd pay for your rent and take you anywhere you want as long as you smile." He gave her his best, most butter-melting smile, and all Juvia could do was smile back in fond resignation.

_FUCK THIS SMOOTH-TALKING MOTHERFUCKER._

Juvia then sealed the inevitably of Gray's unease for the rest of the night with her following words: "Juvia will think about it."

.

.

.

Gray was frustratingly wide-awake. It wasn't just because he was on the couch while Lyon slept in his bed (although he was sure it was a great contributing factor). He couldn't stop thinking about the offer. Truth be told, Lyon was right. It was, in every practical respect, a better option. She'd get Guild Insurance, which would cover medical expenses and property damage. The jobs sent to private guilds paid more, and she wouldn't have to keep funneling her paychecks into the tattered hut's upkeep.

It wasn't just financially more convenient, either. As much as he had no doubt that she loved him, it was impossible that she didn't yearn for the company of other people. Juvia wasn't an extrovert, but she deeply cherished the bonds she made over time. And of course, Wendy was there already. He was actually glad to hear that Wendy had joined. She was too young to be on her own; Charle would have a tough time handling a growing Dragonslayer by herself, no matter how mature Wendy might be. Juvia would be able to help her. It took an entire guild to raise Natsu, after all.

Juvia would bloom in Lamia Scale. As far as being homesick, it wasn't any worse than their current situation. She'd always have a job, security, and friends. She'd never be lonely if she joined. His stays at the Avatar barracks became longer, as well as more frequent. He left her waiting for weeks at a time, with no explanation for where he'd been. It visibly hurt her, and they'd even had a few spats about it. She shouldn't have to wait for him anymore.

So why didn't he want her to go?

Oh yeah, because he was a selfish asshole. He tried suffocating himself with his pillow.

Still deeply perturbed by his thoughts, Gray swung his legs to the floor and got up for a glass of water. He tried to relax himself by freezing and melting the water in his cup, just to give his mind something to focus on. It began to work, as his eyes began to droop, but just as he decided he was ready to go to sleep, the glass shattered at the rapidly shifting temperature, causing a deep gash on his hand. He cursed loudly, hitting his back against the wall as he stepped away from his mess.

He cursed again, with less volume but more poison. Since he couldn't get to sleep, his awful yesterday had bled into the dark morning of today. Cleaning up broken glass at two in the morning was just what he needed. And he was barefoot to boot; it would be a near impossible obstacle course to get to the lights without stepping on any shards.

One of the bedroom doors creaked open and the light flickered on. This would be the topper, looking like a complete idiot in front of the girl he –

Oh, it was Lyon. That made it ten times worse.

"What are you doing?" the silver-haired mage said, rubbing at his eyes.

"Just go back to bed," Gray said. He tried gesturing to shoo his adoptive older brother away, but then struck the chair. With his wound already in place, the ache was white hot. He hissed in pain. Lyon raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

"Dumbass. Sit down. Where's your first aid kit?"

"I don't know where Juvia put it," Gray said, but before he could offer any possible suggestions so as not to look completely helpless, Lyon pulled it out from one of the drawers. He set it down on the table before taking the broom out of the corner and sweeping away Gray's mess.

"See, this is why Ur told us to wear slippers."

"Yeah, but coming from a woman who walked around naked half of the time, it lost a little credibility," Gray replied, causing Lyon to snicker in agreement. They were quiet as Lyon cleaned up. The glass pieces chimed against each other as they were thrown in the trash, signaling for Gray to look up as Lyon pulled up the chair beside him.

"Give me your hand." He was met with a very offended look. "If you want to die of tetanus, be my guest."

Grumbling, Gray laid his hand, palm facing upward, on the table. Lyon created a pair of tweezers with Ice Make and began pulling out the tiny bits that had wedged themselves under Gray's skin. Gray squirmed childishly with each fractal removed. "You're making it hurt on purpose," he whined.

Lyon rolled his eyes. "Quit being such a baby. I'm almost done." A minute later, the last, largest piece was finally out. The first aid kit was open, and a roll of bandage and a bottle of rubbing alcohol were taken out.

Upon seeing the devious look on the other mage's face, Gray paled instantly. "Don't you fucking dare –HOLY SHIT," he screamed, as Lyon mercilessly poured the alcohol on the still open wound. "YOU ASSFACED DEMON, I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU."

"Be quiet, you dick. You're going to wake Juvia-chan," Lyon scolded, dabbing at the cut with a cotton bud.

"Nah, she wouldn't wake up even if she were in the middle of the battlefield, once she gets her eyes shut. Falls asleep fast and hard."

"Sort of the same way she falls in love, then," Lyon observed in amusement.

The corner of Gray's mouth quirked up. "Guess you're right."

"You, on the other hand," Lyon continued, "take forever to fall asleep. Seriously, when we were younger, I remember even getting you to lie still for five minutes was a lost cause if you weren't tired yet. Once you were, though, you completely knock out. You'd sleep through Etherion bombs falling from the sky."

"Bad joke, man."

"Fair enough," Lyon conceded. He made a final turn before knotting the bandage around Gray's hand securely. "Still true, though, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but what's your point?" Gray retorted, flexing his fingers. Lyon did a pretty decent job.

The older mage made no further comment. Instead, his eyebrows shot up and a devious smile twisted his lips. A crease formed atop the bridge of Gray's nose as he narrowed his eyes. He was a dead man; Lyon knew. Was he really that transparent? And he'd spent years practicing how to conceal his emotions, too. All that hard work went right down the drain because of his damn nosy friends.

"Don't you fucking dare tell her, or imply it, or even speak of this moment again," Gray snarled, and this only spurred Lyon to chuckle with pure, gut-wrenching mirth.

"Oh my god, no wonder you've gone fifteen years without figuring out how to keep your clothes on; it took you almost a decade to realize you love –" Lyon was silenced by the hand clasped over his mouth.

"Don't say it out loud," he hissed, but the look of pleading on his face caused Lyon to double over with laughter.

"A seven year old has a better understanding of their emotions than you," he said, shaking his head.

"When did you figure it out?"

"The minute I walked in and saw her. Or, more accurately, saw you looking at her."

"So why did you still make that offer?" Gray asked through gritted teeth.

"Because it's true. You know it is. And I want both of you to come with me. Look at you," Lyon said, motioning to Gray's bandaged hand. "Juvia-chan's doing a really good job making sure you're still in one piece, but that in itself is a gargantuan task she shouldn't have to deal with alone."

Gray looked away, eyes trailing once more to Juvia's door. "I can't go. There's something I'm working on, something big I'm investigating. I can't tell you what it is yet, but I need to get it done. Juvia's helping me, but I can't tell her everything either. I don't know if it will hurt her, so there is no way in hell I'm going to risk it."

"There's also no way in hell she's going to come with me if you're staying."

"Yeah," Gray snorted, "god knows why, it's not like she has any serious obligation to." Lyon cut him off.

"You don't have to pretend, Gray. You know why." With this, the younger mage fell sober. "You're afraid that she'll get hurt, but I don't see you actively pushing her out of harms way. You let her stay here, with you. This isn't how you usually are, but I don't think that's a bad thing."

"You said it yourself. She's the reason I'm still in one piece."

.

.

.

The two were woken by a high-pitched squeal, for Juvia had entered a transport of delight at the sight of them. As a result of staying up all night, the brothers ended up falling asleep sitting at the table, with Lyon's arm slung over Gray's shoulder. Disgusted, Lyon pushed Gray away, causing his chair to fall over. Gray, in return, tackled his older brother to the ground. As they wrestled, Juvia continued to misconstrue the context.

After a quick breakfast, the three of them hurried to the station to get Lyon on the first train to Margaret Town. Lyon lured Juvia into a friendly embrace before sneaking a peck on her cheek, causing Gray to glare daggers at him up to the moment he boarded.

"Juvia-chan, thank you so much for your hospitality, the food was excellent," Lyon gushed. When he turned to Gray, his tone changed, though it was no less fond. "Remember what I said, Gray." And with that, he was gone.

They waved until his train disappeared into the country horizon, with a sun that was still beginning its ascent. As they lowered their hands, Gray reluctantly turned to Juvia to get out what had been swarming his conscious since the night before.

"Juvia."

"Yes, Gray-sama –what happened to your hand?" she cried, and began her frantic inspection. Gray caught her shoulders and held her to a still. The moment his hands rested on her, she froze. After a glance at her stunned expression, he almost did too.

"Listen for just a sec, okay? I don't want you to feel like you're obligated to stay with me, because you feel guilty over what happened with my dad, or because of…because of your feelings. Frankly, there's not much here for you, and the moment you want to take Lyon up on his offer, I want you to go ahead."

Juvia furrowed her brows, and her parted lips converged into a thin line. For what was probably the first time in a long time, she looked truly upset with him. "That's not why Juvia is here. Juvia doesn't stay because she feels guilty or because she loves you, even though she does feel those things. Juvia stays because she wants to defeat Zeref. Juvia stays because she wants to fight for a world where her friends are safe, where Gray-sama doesn't have to get hurt and carry his pain alone. Juvia stays because being with you keeps her sane. Juvia stays for Juvia."

Taken aback, Gray let his arms drop to his sides,. He ducked his head. "You're right. I was out of line. I'm sorry."

Her palm cupped his cheek, and his bandaged hand found its way over hers. "There's nothing to forgive. Let's go home."

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A/N: HURRAY FOR CHRISTMAS BREAK! HURRAY I FINALLY HAVE A TUMBLR AGAIN! HURRAY BECAUSE THERE IS NO DOUBT LEFT THAT THIS SHIP IS GOING TO BE CANON. Thanks for taking the time to read, I'd love to hear what you thought through a review!


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